Card-exhibiting device.



A. J. THOMAS. CARD EXHIBITING DEVICE'. APPLICATION FILED 00T.21, 1907.

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

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ALFRED I. THOMAS, OF ROUBAIX, SOUTH DAKOTA.

CARD-EXHIBITING DEVICE,

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented Aug. 31, 1909.

Application filed October 21, 1907. Serial No. 398,339.

-lb all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Roubaix, in the county of Lawrence and State of South Dakota, have invented a new and Improved Card-Exhibiting Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to means for conspicuously displaying illustrated postal cards, or cards whereon fancy buttons or like merchandise are placed, and has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a device of the character indicated, which afford a very compact and convenient apparatus, that is of great capacity, and extremely well adapted for the exhibition of cards in large number and of different design, that are brought into view by manual operation of the machine.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and defined in the appended claim.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specilication, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is an end elevational view of the device; Fig. 2 is a side view of the device, seen in direction of the arrow m in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a. broken sectional view, substantially on the line 8 3 in Fig. 2, some details being omitted.

Vhile the exhibiting device may be hung from an overhead support, such as the ceiling of a room, to adapt it for convenient change in location it 'is preferred to mount the essential features thereof upon a supporting frame and base, which is movable, and the device is shown mounted on such a frame which consists of the following details: Four upright frame posts 5 are erected in pairs upon a base piece 6, each pair of posts being joined together at their upper ends by a transverse top piece 5a, and preferably the frame is formed of tubular material such as metal pipes. Each pair of posts 5 constitutes an end section of the frame, and

these sections are disposed vertically, par-` allel with each other, and at a suitable distance apart on the base piece G. Centrally in the top pieces 5a for the frame sections, opposite perforations are formed, affording boxes a, wherein the journal'ends a" of a transverse shaft 7, are loosely held.

At a proper distance from the lower ends of the osts 5 a transverse frame bar 5b issecured upon and between the members of veach pair of posts, and at the transverse centers of the frame bars 5b, similar boxes b are lformed thereon,these opposite boxes receiving the journaled ends of a transverse shaft 8. Upon the cylindrical body of the shaft 8, near each end thereof, a sprocket gear 9 is mounted and affixed, these wheels of equal "diameter being positioned close tor the respective frame bars 5b and at their inner sides, as shown in Fig. 2. One end of the shaft S is extended outside of the frame, and upon it is secured a crank handle 8a.

Two sprocket gears 10, preferably similar to the pair of sprocket gears 9, are mounted and secured upon the end portions of the upper shaft 7, each in the same vertical plane with a respective gear 9, and the pair of sprocket gears 9, 10, at each end of the machine frame, arer connected by a sprocket chain 11,'that is endless and mounted taut thereon.

At preferably equal distances apart, a plurality of carrier rods 12 are loosely secured at their ends upon the sprocket chains 11, thus disposing said rods horizontally and parallel with each other. Upon each carrier rod 12, a preferably equal number of card holders 18 are hung, by means best shown in Fig. 3. Each holder 12 is in the form of a skeleton frame, comprising 4two side bars c, c, spaced apart parallel with each other by a bottom cross bar o.

The side bar and cross bar of each holder frame are substantially U-shaped in cross section, thus adapting said holder frame for the reception of a plurality of cards that may be placed together in a pack, and inserted downwardly into the open channels in the side bars c and become, seated in the channel in the lower transverse frame bar c.

To mount a series of the card holders 18 upon a carrier rod 12, opposite perforations are formed in the channeled walls of the side bars c near their upper ends, and before the rods 12 are placed on the sprocket chains 11, a suitable number of the card holders 13 are mounted on each one, and thus disposed pendently and side by side.

The width of the holders 13 is so proportioned that the cards 14 may be readily slid down into them, and as there is ample space afforded eachside of the rod l2 ineacli'holder frame, a considerable number of cards may be introduced thereinto'k for successivel ex"- hibition, as will be presently explained.

The two runs of each of the sprocketcliains' ll, being vertical and parallel, it Will be' from the observer, will by a, rotation of the sprocket gears 9, be brought forward and exposed to view, so that by a slowturning movement of the crank handle, all the cards that are outside inl each packj in respective holders 13 will be exposed fo` inspection. Qbvioiisl'y, by a proper arrangement of the cards for exposure of illustrations on one side'1 ef each card, these faces'of the cards willv be exposed for view upon the opposite' side of' the device, or in direction of the arrow fr in Fig;1 l. Alt the Will of the op,- erator, other cards in each pack in each holder 13 may beplaced at the outside therein and thus be displayed, so that by succes sive changes, all the cards vin each card holder may be exposed for inspection.

If theholders 13 are large enough, any desired number of theml may be utilized as holders for phonograph records that may be in eitherA direction, the card` otherinatter placed on the record.

As before statedgthecards received by the lcard holders may be illustrated postal cards exposed' for inspection and sale, or small Ware in the notion line may be placed therein forl such a purpose.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent: p y

In a card exhibiting device, an endless carrier provided at spaced'intervals With transverse rods, and a plurality of holdersxconnected With each of said rods, each of said holders comprising side members channeled on their inner sides anda bottom Imember connecting the side members and channeled on itsupper side, the side members being provided with alined openings in their longitudinal center line, the rod passing through the openings for supporting the holders, said rodV being' below the level ofthe top of the holders whereby saidrod will' divide the cards in the holderinto tivo divi` sions,` one upon each side of the. rod, and means for moving the carrier.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence oit tivo subscribing witnesses.

ALFRED" J. TrroMAs. Vitn esses A. SHosTAK, D. JAcos. 

